Paul W. Smith, a Monroe native and one of the top-rated morning radio hosts in the country, will be honored by the Education Foundation of Monroe Public Schools at an “Evening with Paul W. Smith” on Thursday, April 30, at the Monroe Golf & Country Club.
Smith, who is the host of the Paul W. Smith Show on WJR radio in Detroit, is a member of the National Radio Hall of Fame and this tribute is believed to be the first public reception in his home town to recognize that honor.
The evening begins at 6 p.m. at the country club and includes dinner and a program. Tickets for the event are $50 each or $500 for a table and are available at the Monroe Public Schools Administration Building, 1275 N. Macomb St., or by calling 734-265-3000. Tickets also are available from Education Foundation members.
The Education Foundation of Monroe Public Schools was the first of its kind in a public school in Monroe County when it was established in 1999. The Foundation helps support education in Monroe Public Schools by awarding mini-grants to classroom teachers for innovative lessons and approaches. It also provides up to 20 scholarships annually for graduating Monroe High School seniors.
Mr. Smith, who was educated in Monroe, attended Monroe County Community College and earned a bachelors degree in communications from the University of Michigan. He began his radio career in 1970 at the former WVMO radio in Monroe. That career also has taken him to Toledo, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Philadelphia and New York City before he achieved his current position at WJR, essentially succeeding his hero, J.P. McCarthy.
12 MHS HOSA Members Qualify for State Finals
Twelve members of the Monroe High School Health Occupations Society of America (HOSA) chapter competed Saturday (February 28) in HOSA regional competition at Jackson Community College and all 12 students qualified to participate in the state competition coming up later this spring.
Monroe High School’s nursing education program is the only one in Monroe County where its students are members of and participate in HOSA events.
Qualifying the state finals as Medalists are:
Alexa Eagle -1st place Nurse Assisting
Natalie Lake -1st place Prepared Speaking
Rami Dahbour-1st place Medical Spelling
Dionne Fletcher - 2nd place Nurse Assisting
Karl Havens -2nd place Sports Medicine
Amanda Lis -3rd place Nurse Assisting
Kayla Whiting -3rd place Medical Terminology.
Qualifying for the state competition as finalists were:
ChazlynFrank -Nurse Assisting
Abbie Begley -Sports Medicine
ArenNewman -Medical Terminology
Olivia Soter -Extemporaneous Writing
Sophee Langerman - finalist Biomedical Laboratory Science
MMS, MHS Instrumental Groups to Play in Local Competition
It should be quite a treat for music lovers in Monroe County when all of Monroe Public Schools' instrumental groups from Monroe Middle School and Monroe High School participate in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association festival to be held this year in Monroe. All of the concerts on March 12-14 are free.
Band Festival to Provide Three Days of Music
Persons who enjoy middle school and high school orchestras and bands will delight in three days of music coming up March 12-14 when the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association hosts its band and orchestra festival at Monroe County Community College.
Some 42 groups will perform over the three days, involving 1,937 students, assisted by more than 220 volunteers. This very special event, which is coordinated by the Music Department of Monroe Public Schools, is free of change for all to attend.
Festival hours are 8 a.m. to 7:50 p.m., Thursday, March 12; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, March 13; and 9 a.m. to 2:20 p.m., Saturday, March 14.
All participating groups will perform three numbers in the Meyer Theater and will be judged by professional adjudicators. Those concerts are open to the public. They also then will perform a selection they never have seen before – called sight-reading – before another judge.
Here is the list of performance times by group.
Thursday, March 12
8:00 a.m. – Ida Middle School 7th Grade band;
8:25 a.m. – Dundee Middle School Concert Band
8:50 a.m. – Bedford Junior High School 7th Grade Band
9:25 a.m. – Seitz Middle School (Riverview) 7th/8th Grade Concert Band
9:50 a.m. – Ida Middle School 8th Grade Band
10:15 a.m. – Bedford Junior High School 8th Grade Band
10:55 a.m. – Bedford Junior High School String Orchestra
11:25 a.m. --Monroe Middle School Orchestra
11:50 a.m. – Whiteford High School Concert Band
1:00 p.m. – St. Mary Catholic Central High School Band
1:25 p.m. – Dundee High School Concert Band
1:50 p.m. – Wyandotte Roosevelt High School Band
2:25 p.m. – Bedford High School Varsity Band
2:50 p.m. – Bedford High School Symphony Orchestra
3:15 p.m. – St. Mary Catholic Central Chamber Strings
3:55 p.m. – Bedford High School Symphonic Band
4:25 p.m. – Wyandotte Roosevelt High School Symphony Band
4:55 p.m. – Bedford High School Chamber Orchestra
6:10 p.m. – St. Mary Catholic Central High School Symphony Band
6:50 p.m. – Monroe High School Orchestra
Friday, March 13
8:00 a.m. – Airport High School Concert Band
8:25 a.m. – Summerfield Middle School Concert Band
8:50 a.m. – Whiteford Junior High School Prep Band
9:30 a.m. – Ida High School Symphonic Band
9:55 a.m. – Airport High School Symphonic Band
10:20 a.m. – Summerfield High School Symphonic Band
11:00 a.m. – Simpson Middle School (Flat Rock) 7th Grade Band
11:25 a.m. – Wagar Middle School Symphonic Band
11:50 a.m. – Plymouth-Canton Educational Park High School Symphony Band
1:00 p.m. – Summit Academy High School Symphonic Band
1:25 p.m. – Ida High School Concert Band
1:50 p.m. – Plymouth Canton Educational Park High School Chamber Winds
2:30 p.m. – Wagar Middle School Concert Band
3:00 p.m. – Plymouth-Canton Educational park High School Wind Ensemble
Saturday, March 14
9:00 a.m. -- Monroe Middle School 7th Grade Band
9:25 a.m. – Jefferson High School Symphonic Band
9:55 a.m. – Wyandotte Roosevelt High School String Orchestra
10:35 a.m. – Monroe Middle School 8th Grade Band
11:00 a.m. – Monroe High School Concert Band
11:30 a.m. – Jefferson High School Wind Ensemble
12:50 p.m. – Wyandotte Roosevelt High School Chamber Strings
1:20 p.m. – Monroe High School Wind Ensemble
MMS 8th grader qualifies for National Geographic State Bee
Monroe Middle School 8th grader Gino Assenmacher has been named a semifinalist and is eligible to participate in the 2015 National Geographic State Bee on March 27 in Battle Creek.
Gino, the son of Craig and Nina Assenmacher, is a member of the National Junior Honor Society at Monroe Middle School and is involved in various activities at the school.
Orchard Center High School Principal Chantele Henry will be interviewed on the WERW radio show “Get to Know Monroe on the radio” at 10 a.m. Sunday (Jan. 25) on 94.3 FM. In the 17-minute interview, Mrs. Henry talks about her educational and professional background and the wide range of services that OCHS and the Learning Bank offer to the community. Make sure you tune in and listen. This show features different Monroe Public Schools administrators and airs Sundays at 10 a.m. on 94.3 Rewind.
A new state-of-the art Pearson Education General Education Degree (GED) Testing Center is now up and running at Orchard Center High School, and a number of students from the nearby Learning Bank test at the center each week.
The two educational institutions which are only several blocks away from each other have been working more closely together since Monroe Public Schools took steps about a year ago to keep the Learning Bank open and then assumed operation of Orchard Center High School midway through the 2013-2014 school year.
“We are very proud of the efforts made by a number of Monroe Public Schools staff members with support from the Board of Education to keep the Learning Bank and its ties to Orchard Center High School available because these are important resources for members of the Monroe community,” said Dr. Barry Martin, superintendent, Monroe Public Schools.
“A year or so ago, there was some question about the Learning Bank’s ability to remain open. However, now that it is a part of Monroe Public Schools, it is thriving as a valuable service to our community members who seek to further their education by working towards a GED,” Dr. Martin said.
Technology at the Learning Bank has been upgraded by Monroe Public Schools and plans are to add new software which is needed for students to successfully prepare for their GED at the facility.
The evening adult education services continue at Orchard Center and they are closely tied to the daytime services at the Learning Bank which allows students to move back and forth between these two facilities if needed because of work schedules.
In addition to support from Monroe Public Schools, the Learning Bank also continues to receive backing from Monroe Bank & Trust, the Community Foundation of Monroe County and Monroe County Community College, which have remained strong supporters of the community effort.
Persons who have questions about the Learning Bank or its classes can call 457-0091. Persons with Orchard Center-related questions can call 265-3700.
Monroe High School will hold its annual open house and information night for eighth graders and their parents on Thursday, January 29. The event runs from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at Monroe High School.
Eighth graders from Monroe Middle School and their parents as well as those attending private or charter schools or being home-schooled are invited to attend.
The event will open with a clubs and activities festival in the MHS Commons from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. From 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., there will be sessions about various aspects of learning at Monroe High School, many of them about programs available only at Monroe High School and not at any other local high school. Building tours also will be available. Among the programs to be highlighted are the MHS direct college program in association with Monroe County Community College, the large number of virtual classes available at MHS, the school’s push towards a college-going culture and the successful Allies in Monroe program.
Staff members will be on-hand to explain the enrollment process and distribute scheduling and registration materials. Curriculum questions also will be answered.
Persons with questions can contact the assistant principals’ office at 265-3460.
Waterloo Principal Lisa McLaughlin appeared on the Sunday radio show "Get to Know Monroe on the Radio" and talked about recent happenings at her school, including the great results being seen with the STEAM program. Click on the attached link to hear this 10-minute interview.
Raisinville Elementary will be hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, January 20, 2015 from 2pm to 7pm. Any parent or relative that participates earns their child a fee gift from the Red Cross.
Monroe Public Schools Board of Education President Robert Yeo was re-elected board president for 2015, his third consecutive year to hold the post, at the board’s organizational meeting on Tuesday, January 13.
Larry VanWasshenova was re-elected vice president of the board. Board member Ryan Philbeck was elected secretary and MPS Business and Finance Director Katherine Eighmey was re-appointed board treasurer.
The school board also decided Tuesday night that it will continue to hold its regular meetings at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. The board also approved the 2015 meeting schedule for its committees. The 2015 meeting schedule is posted on the MPS website http://www.monroe.k12.mi.us .